BRANDS

Breguet Type XXI 3813 Chronograph in Platinum for Only Watch 2015

Breguet is among the watchmakers who shall take part in the upcoming Only Watch 2015 charity auction. For the occasion, the brand has made a unique version of its Type XXI 3813 Chronograph which will be fitted inside a platinum housing. It is a watch with military origin which is equipped with a flyback chronograph. The timekeeper’s originality is restricted to the material of the case and not its functions, though there are some indications that it can be viewed as a harbinger of a new pilot model which will be released by Breguet sometime in the foreseeable future.

The model in question was released a few years ago, as a follow up to Type XX Chronograph with whom it shares most of its traits. The predecessor itself was further based on the brand’s model from the 1930s. That archetype model was originally made for the French Air force which is why it had a typical pilot-type appearance as all of the models that followed, including the new ones with types XX, XXI and XXII.

The purpose of the piece determined the supported features. Among them there is a minute counter for the chronograph that is executed via central hands which facilitates its reading. There is also a chronograph fly-back function which allows the stop watch to be stopped, reset and restarted with a single push. This is all performed by the second, lower push-piece. The first, upper one, simply starts and stops the stop watch.

Apart from these functions, the watch also includes a day/night display (a pointer that shows the hours on a 24-hour scale) on the right side, a 12-hour chrono totalizer with a date aperture at the bottom, as well as a small seconds counter at the left.

The dial is dark colored and it features Arabic numerals and hour markers in a beige, shade which contributes to the overall retro appearance. The same colored coating with luminous properties is used for the hands of the piece.

As it has been mentioned, the unique piece made for the Only Watch 2015 auction was made in a platinum housing. Previously, the watch came in a titanium, steel and gold cases.

The housing is round. It has the diameter of 42 mm and the thickness of 15.2 mm. The construction of the watch includes a screwed-in crown which contributes to water resistance of 100 meters. The front side is covered with a sapphire crystal, while the case-back is made of solid metal. There is also a graduated and bi-directional rotating bezel.

Inside the housing ticks a self-winding mechanical caliber 584Q. It features an annular balance-wheel, a Swiss straight-line lever, as well as a flat balance spring. It ticks at the frequency of 4 Hz and integrates 25 jewels in its construction. The supported power reserve measures to two days. All in all, it includes 319 parts, including a rotor made of heavy metal.

Breguet Type XXI Chronograph in Platinum for Only Watch is paired with a vintage looking brown leather strap which fastens with a clasp made of platinum.